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Charles Paris #6
The Dead Side of the Mike
Murder at the BBC? It's almost unimaginable.
When Andrea Gower, the beautiful studio manager is murdered, the producer's only concern is the dead air emanating from the transmitter.
But Charles Paris, the now famous actor/detective has come to Broadcasting House to give a talk, and ends up as a mystery voice on a showbiz quiz show.
Paris has to wallow through layers of BBC scandal, and uncovers a complicated fraud - with clues concealed in seemingly innocent announcements.
These clues lead to a trap that is nearly the end of Mr. Paris in 'The Dead Side of the Mike'.
When Andrea Gower, the beautiful studio manager is murdered, the producer's only concern is the dead air emanating from the transmitter.
But Charles Paris, the now famous actor/detective has come to Broadcasting House to give a talk, and ends up as a mystery voice on a showbiz quiz show.
Paris has to wallow through layers of BBC scandal, and uncovers a complicated fraud - with clues concealed in seemingly innocent announcements.
These clues lead to a trap that is nearly the end of Mr. Paris in 'The Dead Side of the Mike'.
180 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1981
17 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
About the author
Simon Brett
329 books532 followersSimon Brett is a prolific British writer of whodunnits.
He is the son of a Chartered Surveyor and was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first class honours degree in English.
He then joined the BBC as a trainee and worked for BBC Radio and London Weekend Television, where his work included 'Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Frank Muir Goes Into ...'.
After his spells with the media he began devoting most of his time to writing from the late 1970s and is well known for his various series of crime novels.
He is married with three children and lives in Burpham, near Arundel, West Sussex, England. He is the current president of the Detection Club.
He is the son of a Chartered Surveyor and was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first class honours degree in English.
He then joined the BBC as a trainee and worked for BBC Radio and London Weekend Television, where his work included 'Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Frank Muir Goes Into ...'.
After his spells with the media he began devoting most of his time to writing from the late 1970s and is well known for his various series of crime novels.
He is married with three children and lives in Burpham, near Arundel, West Sussex, England. He is the current president of the Detection Club.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 16, 2025
This is what we mean when we say the past is a different country. Some of the things in here would not pass the editor today. Which is why it is a useful insight in the mindset of the early 1980s. Seen as it was not how we would have liked it to be.
Now on to the mystery itself, that was relatively straightforward and engaging enough, but nothing earth shattering.
Now on to the mystery itself, that was relatively straightforward and engaging enough, but nothing earth shattering.
November 9, 2017
I was minding the second hand book sales table for the Friends of Ngaio when I saw this. I liked the title, not immediately realising that Mike was a microphone. Even when I realised what it was actually about, I decided to take a chance on it, and am really glad I did.
Way back when the Chris Moyles show on BBC Radio 1 was my only weekday contact with the English speaking world, I really loved the team's digressions into the behind the scenes of how radio worked (incidentally, that's probably the impetus for The Ugliest Sweater--that and the actual sweater). The world described in this novel is the world they grew up listening to and that informed their radio... It was at once completely new to me but also familiar. I think listening to the Goon Show and reading the scripts also helped... But it was also really interesting to be reading about a world where cars with cassette tapes are coveted, and Simon and Garfunkel derided as the latest pop fad that will never amount to anything. But--and here is the really interesting thing--Woman's Hour is name-checked, and to the best of my knowledge, that is still going strong.
Also, I was determined not to like the POV character Charles, because he had affairs, but he is self-aware and takes responsibility for his behaviour--and is puzzled by it. His failed marriage actually has complexity and his relationship with his ex-wife complicated--and not in the cheap way 'complicated' is used for relationships now. They need each other, but they both accept that their relationship won't survive a conventional marriage. It's not a big thing in the book, and there's probably more 80s male would like to have his cake and eat it too than I want to admit, but the way I read their relationship made me happy, so. He also has an attraction to a younger woman, but manages to keep it respectful. Actual accomplishment or do I just have really low expectations for protagonists of 80s mystery novels?
And the mystery was good too.
Way back when the Chris Moyles show on BBC Radio 1 was my only weekday contact with the English speaking world, I really loved the team's digressions into the behind the scenes of how radio worked (incidentally, that's probably the impetus for The Ugliest Sweater--that and the actual sweater). The world described in this novel is the world they grew up listening to and that informed their radio... It was at once completely new to me but also familiar. I think listening to the Goon Show and reading the scripts also helped... But it was also really interesting to be reading about a world where cars with cassette tapes are coveted, and Simon and Garfunkel derided as the latest pop fad that will never amount to anything. But--and here is the really interesting thing--Woman's Hour is name-checked, and to the best of my knowledge, that is still going strong.
Also, I was determined not to like the POV character Charles, because he had affairs, but he is self-aware and takes responsibility for his behaviour--and is puzzled by it. His failed marriage actually has complexity and his relationship with his ex-wife complicated--and not in the cheap way 'complicated' is used for relationships now. They need each other, but they both accept that their relationship won't survive a conventional marriage. It's not a big thing in the book, and there's probably more 80s male would like to have his cake and eat it too than I want to admit, but the way I read their relationship made me happy, so. He also has an attraction to a younger woman, but manages to keep it respectful. Actual accomplishment or do I just have really low expectations for protagonists of 80s mystery novels?
And the mystery was good too.
September 24, 2012
I've always loved the Charles Paris series. Simon Brett has created a character in Charles Paris that is the exact opposite of what you would ever expect out of an amateur detective. This wasn't the best Charles Paris story, but it certainly wasn't the worst. It is worth checking out.
February 9, 2022
This has aged very badly and if it was ever amusing satire, that moment has sadly passed.
December 1, 2017
This book is a little dated since it involves radio and the lingo surrounding it. It could also be because I don't really know anything about the BBC and the differences between Radios One through Four, although I did appreciate that Brett made fun of it the whole time. Charles is at a BBC event after a show he did when a young producer dies. Who killed her? Her ex husband? Her lover? Her roommate, Steve (nee Stephanie), who Charles finds very attractive?
Frances is in the book, having just bought a car to help her grieve her mother's death. (They fly to America, which Charles very much enjoys as his first transatlantic flight.)
Charles definitely didn't drink as much as usual; he's turning out to not be such a cad after all!
Frances is in the book, having just bought a car to help her grieve her mother's death. (They fly to America, which Charles very much enjoys as his first transatlantic flight.)
Charles definitely didn't drink as much as usual; he's turning out to not be such a cad after all!
October 21, 2025
The sixth book (published in 1980) in the long-running series featuring the actor-sleuth, Charles Paris. This time around, he investigates the sudden death of BBC studio manager Andrea Gower and follows a dangerous trail which takes in a chat-show fiddle, nubile ladies, an American funeral and fraud within the hallowed portals of Broadcasting House.
I’ve had this book for a long time and it’s survived book culls and house moves and I’m really glad I finally got round to reading it. I’ve seen it described as a cosy crime and it’s certainly a very British mystery (even though there’s a sojourn to the USA), featuring characters in and around the BBC who get caught up in a murder. Paris is an excellent character, the supporting cast does well, there are some great touches of humour (and some nice jokey callbacks), virtually everyone drinks and some of the attitudes are very much of its time. I really enjoyed it - the mystery was sound, the locations were nicely used and Paris was a great lead. I’m looking forward to reading more and would very much recommend this.
I’ve had this book for a long time and it’s survived book culls and house moves and I’m really glad I finally got round to reading it. I’ve seen it described as a cosy crime and it’s certainly a very British mystery (even though there’s a sojourn to the USA), featuring characters in and around the BBC who get caught up in a murder. Paris is an excellent character, the supporting cast does well, there are some great touches of humour (and some nice jokey callbacks), virtually everyone drinks and some of the attitudes are very much of its time. I really enjoyed it - the mystery was sound, the locations were nicely used and Paris was a great lead. I’m looking forward to reading more and would very much recommend this.
January 26, 2022
( Format : Audiobook )
"Radio has nothing to do with communication."
Charles Paris, without the air of his useless agent, is briefly working for BBC radio when the body of a young woman newly returned from the States is discovered. The football match that she was supposedly commentating was still playing. It looked like suicide. Then another death and Charles is convinced that both were murder.
Read by the author, this series is always a delight, at times poignant, always filled with interesting characters - and this is a good who-dun-it? too. Rather a lot of protagonists to absorb in the early pages but with a nice interaction episode with his wife, this is more a mystery solving novel than most of the other Charles Paris novels.
An easy and most enjoyable (stand-alone) read. Recommended.
"Radio has nothing to do with communication."
Charles Paris, without the air of his useless agent, is briefly working for BBC radio when the body of a young woman newly returned from the States is discovered. The football match that she was supposedly commentating was still playing. It looked like suicide. Then another death and Charles is convinced that both were murder.
Read by the author, this series is always a delight, at times poignant, always filled with interesting characters - and this is a good who-dun-it? too. Rather a lot of protagonists to absorb in the early pages but with a nice interaction episode with his wife, this is more a mystery solving novel than most of the other Charles Paris novels.
An easy and most enjoyable (stand-alone) read. Recommended.
March 2, 2021
Though a little difficult to get into as there were rather too many characters somewhat hurriedly introduced in the beginning, the story went on to unwind at a more manageable pace. A murder mystery set largely in the BBC, 'The Dead Side of the Mike' has a cleverly thought-out and engaging plot. The protagonist, Charles Paris, actor and occasional amateur detective, is a shrewd thinker and observer. A likeable individual, it is easy to go along with him as he seeks to discover the reasons behind the deaths of two people involved with the entertainment industry. I would be happy to read another Charles Paris mystery.
November 20, 2017
If you are coming at this from the Bill Nighy series, you will be in for a bit of a surprise. While there are funny moments in this book, this is really a good old fashioned golden age kind of mystery with a well rendered setting, a nifty murder method, and a somewhat anonymous amateur detective. Unlike any of the Nighy adaptations, the entertainment here is really in the mystery, and the supporting characters that provide the humor in the radio series just aren't here.
I liked this one (3.5 stars rounded up) as a good series entry, but no more than that.
I liked this one (3.5 stars rounded up) as a good series entry, but no more than that.
September 30, 2020
I confess to have abandoned this the first time round, having found the previous Charles Paris mystery quite sub-par, and the first three chapter this one frankly an even worse decline. It was still a rough read for the first 30 pages or so, but I'm glad I pushed through this time, because it goes back to the good Simon Brett fast. Nice human moments and a very decent mystery, involving a particularly excellent "treasure hunt" of musical clues, and being the right kind of "twisty" towards the resolution. Faith in the series restored! 3,5*/5
January 31, 2023
Another fab outing for jobbing actor Charles Paris. Hea picked up a bit of work for BBC radio and gets roped in to staying for a meeting where people want non-beeb views. Later, a young woman he met in the bar earlier, is found dead, seemingly having killed herself. A love interest, a bit more work, and another death leaves Charles investigating, even whilst travelling for Frances' Mum's funeral.
I love how fortuitous Charles' movements always are, just a shame he seems to have the least useful agent going. Still, he managed to get three bits of work out of this one, so not all bad!
I love how fortuitous Charles' movements always are, just a shame he seems to have the least useful agent going. Still, he managed to get three bits of work out of this one, so not all bad!
September 16, 2018
An insider BBC murder. Interesting.
This one had me guessing. Another good Charles Paris mystery. I’m quite a fan of this series now. The books are light but still complex enough to enthral and entertain—not an easy thing to do. Good job, Brett.
This one had me guessing. Another good Charles Paris mystery. I’m quite a fan of this series now. The books are light but still complex enough to enthral and entertain—not an easy thing to do. Good job, Brett.
August 13, 2017
actually listened to the BBC radio production with Bill Nighy
my favourite of the series so far
my favourite of the series so far
January 6, 2019
Read as audiobook. I always struggle with the BBC plays - how to rate as a novel? Well, I can't and it gets 4 stars for Bill Nighy ... of course !
January 12, 2021
Zippy humor, as always.
March 26, 2021
More family and more drama. The estranged wife is my favourite character - she has such humour.
February 1, 2022
A witty story beautifully “acted” on audible by Bill Nighy and co.
December 28, 2024
Has the same charming dialogue as earlier Charles Paris books, but I’ll admit Charles’ personal foibles are beginning to grate on me.
June 27, 2013
Charles Paris gets musical! The Dead Side of the Mike is the sixth Charles Paris mystery by Simon Brett. This one is set with BBC radio as the background. I find the the ones set with the BBC or ITV to be much lighter in feel than the ones set in the Theater. I enjoy them a little bit more for that reason.
Charles has been given a job doing a program on Swinburne for BBC radio and, of course, goes to the BBC Club to drink immediately after it's over. While drinking with friends there, he gets roped into being part of a committee to discuss making Features like they use to when radio was the king of entertainment. Through the course of all this he meets several young and ambitious employees and then finds one of them dead. Apparently, a suicide. Being Charles Paris, he has to investigate.
The ensuing mystery involves a trip to New York (his first) and a behind the scenes look at the music business. He spends time with Frances, his almost divorced wife, and goes on a treasure hunt.
The mystery was a good one. I didn't figure it out until he did. The way he pursues the mystery is fun and the description of his trip to New York is very interesting. This is the pure entertainment of a whodunnit. Charles is smart and witty and the minor characters are very well drawn. You can picture each one of them as if you had seen them in person. An excellent entry in one of my favorite series.
Charles has been given a job doing a program on Swinburne for BBC radio and, of course, goes to the BBC Club to drink immediately after it's over. While drinking with friends there, he gets roped into being part of a committee to discuss making Features like they use to when radio was the king of entertainment. Through the course of all this he meets several young and ambitious employees and then finds one of them dead. Apparently, a suicide. Being Charles Paris, he has to investigate.
The ensuing mystery involves a trip to New York (his first) and a behind the scenes look at the music business. He spends time with Frances, his almost divorced wife, and goes on a treasure hunt.
The mystery was a good one. I didn't figure it out until he did. The way he pursues the mystery is fun and the description of his trip to New York is very interesting. This is the pure entertainment of a whodunnit. Charles is smart and witty and the minor characters are very well drawn. You can picture each one of them as if you had seen them in person. An excellent entry in one of my favorite series.
June 14, 2013
A good British mystery, with all the appropriate twists, turns, and a dash of humor. Not on a par with P.D. James or Agatha Christie, but still a nice beach read. Charles Paris is a likable character, and I can see how he can carry the whole series of stories. This one was written in 2000, and I'd like to read the newest story just now published to see where Charles is at in his life.
June 24, 2013
Not the best Charles Paris mystery by a long shot, but kept me engaged throughout. Somehow you can't help but love the witty, alcoholic Charles Paris and his long suffering estranged wife Frances - This series is far more about the characters than the story, and I'm sure hardened crime fans will find it a bit "lite" but definitely amusing.
October 18, 2016
A Charles Paris mystery. Charles inadvertently joins the Features Action Group at the BBC and at the first meeting a young studio manager is found with her wrists slashed. Charles starts to investigate.
February 7, 2022
Another fun mystery with Charles - this time with the added benefit (for me at least) that it's set inside the BBC so I can see what (if anything) has changed in the last nearly 40 years. And the answer is not a lot! But the mystery is intriguing and Charles is more likeable than he can be.
December 19, 2010
As expected - although I did love Charlotte Greene's cameo.
March 6, 2014
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2014
not my favourite ever Simon Brett novel. I still prefer the Carole and Jude series.
August 9, 2015
I listened to the dramatization of this one with Bill Nighey as Charles Paris and set in the BBC. Decent plot line and a dash of humor here and there made it enjoyable.
March 29, 2016
Too many characters and a far-fetched treasure hunt spoil a well observed mystery. Clever but not the best Brett has done.
3 stars
3 stars
October 19, 2017
My work is intense so Simon Brett's Charles Paris lightens my mood without sacrificing intelligence and great writing.
March 5, 2023
An oldie but a goodie.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews